Is 2013 the year HTC finally turns things around?

HTC's resolved in 2012 to recapture its lost place at the head of the Android class of smartphone makers, but the Taiwanese company continued to decline and reported one of its worst years. Despite pledging to focus on fewer smartphone models, the company unleashed a barrage of devices after its HTC One series of phones failed to capture as much consumer attention as HTC had hoped. HTC is once again vowing to rebound this year, but CEO Peter Chou sounds more optimistic than confident about this resolution.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Chou said:

"The worst for HTC has probably passed. 2013 will not be too bad. Our competitors were too strong and very resourceful, pouring in lots of money into marketing. We haven't done enough on the marketing front."

Chou declined to name specifics for how the company will rebound at a time when it has continued to lose market share to Apple and Samsung. China has emerged as a growing market for HTC, and the company cited it as a "key driver" of sales in its third quarter earnings report. However, the company will also need to improve its position in the U.S. and European markets if it hopes to regain market share.

HTC will try to be faster to the market with new products and emerging technology in 2013. The company made strides in late 2012 with the well-received DROID DNA thanks to a 1080p display, and it will need to be just as innovative in upcoming products if it hopes to increase sales. Chou believes his team is up to the task. He told The Wall Street Journal:

"Although we don't have as much money to counter [Samsung and Apple], the most important thing is to have unique products that appeal to consumers?One thing I'd learned from last year is to act fast and be responsive to market changes. We are being more flexible now. We are constantly fine-tuning our sales plans and position in various market."